My column from Silverstone

Silverstone circuit hosted the first race of the inaugural FIA Formula One World Championship in 1950 in front of the United Kingdom’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. This year’s 60th anniversary delivered classic racing - and excellent entertainment - to 300,000 people over the event’s three days. Faces in the paddock included musician Eric Clapton, comedian Rowan Atkinson and World Land Speed Record holder Andy Green. It was a reminder of the huge appeal of F1 in countries with an established motor sport scene.

The key to developing such a culture is finding connection points for the public. In Britain some 230,000 people participate in motor sport of one form or another, with 42,000 holding race licences. Thousands watch international and local races on Britain’s 16 racing circuits - almost every weekend. The fans at Silverstone on Sunday had two Britons to support (McLaren’s champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button) and victor Mark Webber, whilst Australian, has lived just down the road for more than a decade.

Hosting a Grand Prix delivers prestige to a country but it’s not enough to create deep and long-lasting interest in the sport. Excitement about China’s round of the championship has waned since its inception in 2004 both for the public and therefore the corporations who could use it as a promotional tool. It does not need to be this way. For example TV viewing numbers in India rose 20-percent when Vijay Mallya bought and renamed the Midland team Force India. They jumped another 40-percent when Karun Chandhok became this year the second Indian to have raced in F1 (after Narain Karthikeyan in 2005). His sponsors, JK Tyres, use their involvement to promote their products in India. Next year’s inaugural Indian Grand Prix in New Delhi will be significantly more relevant to the local market if Karun is on the grid.

For proof look at this year’s twelfth Malaysian Grand Prix which featured the now locally owned Lotus Racing team and their test driver Fairuz Fauzy on track during the first free practice - and had the highest attendance since the first one in 1999. Lotus is one of F1’s most historic names. It has been brought back into the sport by Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes. The owner of AirAsia tested his theory that consumers want local heroes when at the helm of Warner Music. He is now applying it at Lotus Racing by developing drivers, engineers and personnel from Malaysia and across the region. He expects to reap rewards by using F1 as marketing tool in both Europe and Asia. Ironically then it’s a rather British motor sport icon (albeit now Malaysian-owned) which is showing the way forward for F1 in south-east Asia. How long until someone sees the potential in China?